I Love BL cars me

grahame":19mw0d0i said:

unkleGsif":19mw0d0i said:

misteroo":19mw0d0i said:

I had a MK1 metro 1.0, it was superb!!

Still remember that good old K series whine!!

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Mk1 metro's used the A series from the Mini, even the front/rear subframes


G

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And the whine was almost certainly from the gearbox.

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Nah, it was the rear diff...

I can remember a friend whose dad got an Ambassador for a company car, we all went for a ride the night he got it!

My dad had a couple of metros, one yellow one or" Snapdragon" as the colour was known.
Why is it I can remember that when I have trouble remembering what I did earlier today? :shock:

Fond memories.

My grandfathers neighbour had a mark one mini metro, the early ones still had mini on their badges. Bought it new when they first came out and polished/serviced/looked after it very well for over 20 years. The car was near showroom condition when he died. Amazing how even a tinny plasticy buzz box like a BL Metro could go on for ever if you treated it right
My mother had 2 as health board cars when she worked as a health visitor, they felt like FIATs of the same period but FIAT still exists :roll:

I saw an immaculate Vanden Plas this very weekend. My first car was a Triumph (BL) Dolomite HL. T'was a great old car but not without its foibles.

My mum worked in a Triumph which became BL by default. Standards dropped. They once had a car in that pulled to one side when braking. It had discs on one side and drums on the other.

That could have been dead useful if NASCAR style racing was done much in the UK

unkleGsif":2b8urcvy said:

misteroo":2b8urcvy said:

I had a MK1 metro 1.0, it was superb!!

Still remember that good old K series whine!!

Click to expand...

Mk1 metro's used the A series from the Mini, even the front/rear subframes


G

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They used the A series engines but they didn't use the Mini subframes.
The Metros used Hydragas suspension that was a similar but updated version of the earlier Hydrolastic suspension that was fitted to Minis for a time having previously been used on Austin 1100/1300s. Hydragas had gas under pressure with fluid as well and also had shocks on front but not on rear.

Over the years I've had 4 Minis and 2 Metros. One of the Minis started out with Hydrolastic suspension but I converted it to the original rubber-cone suspension. The suspension arms and subframes are even different between the "dry" and "wet" suspension systems on Mini.

If my memory serves me correctly someone who raced Metros removed the rear Hydragas suspension on his Metro and fitted a Mini subframe as the Hydragas was a bit "bouncy", think he left the front Hydragas though.

Good thread this.

My first car was a Mini Club Man..... got board of it, too slow.

Second car was a fast road Mini with a 1397 Mini sport engine,twin su's, full cage, Cooper s discs etc.....very entertaining for a 18 year old!

Next was a Metro Turbo....biggest pile of poo ever made, went through plenty of diffs and gearboxes...scrapped it in the end.

My first ever car was 'JUD 32K'

Just like this one but far, far rustier

Had a clubman estate in red, great car, totally relable. Had a few of these....




One had the rally engine just a drivers seat and speedo, it was like flying a spitfire but bugger me did it go.

legrandefromage":2wh64sy5 said:

MG Maestro - it did not make that car any better...

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Had the later 2.0i MG, didn't go that well really but handled really well and needed more power. Ate headgaskets, but loved it.
Turbo got too much power for a car with no LSD.
Still hankering after a MK1 Metro Turbo but there none left anymore.
When I get a 6 figure salary I will get a 6R4.

Carl.